Routers are used for a variety of material working purposes (e.g., woodworking) including finishing work for furniture and cabinets as well as functional connections made of complimentary shaped profiles such as tongue and groove joints, etc.
Routers typically are of two types: router tables in which the workpiece is moved relative to a stationary router and portable routers that are moved along the workpiece.
Portable routers typically comprise a pneumatic or electric motor that is located in a housing. The housing moves axially along a base. An exemplary prior art router 10 is shown in FIG. 8. The router 10 includes router bit 12 attached to the router 10 by a chuck 14. A collet may alternatively be used. The chuck 14 extends from a drive shaft 16 of motor 18 and is positioned perpendicular to face 20 of base 22 such that the face 20 of the base 22 is translated along a surface 24 of work piece 26 with the bit 12 extending from the face 20 to perform the work on the work piece 26. The bit 12 may include a pilot that rides against a shoulder 30 of the work piece 26 to control the cut. An example of a portable router is more fully described in U.S. Design Pat. No. D 538,614 to Aglassinger, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Router tables utilize a router bit that extends upwardly above the top of the table. The router bit is stationary and is positioned in alignment with a longitudinally extending fence. The workpiece is advanced from right to left along the top of the table, along the fence, and into the router bit to perform the work. The router bit may be powered by a dedicated motor positioned under the table. Alternatively, the router bit may be powered by a portable router positioned under the table with the router bit extending upwardly through the table. An example of a table utilizing a dedicated motor is more fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,234 to Onsrud, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. An example of a table utilizing a portable router is Bosch model is RA1171 Router Table sold by Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart, Germany.
Routers vary is size, power and weight. Routers used for router tables may have a power capacity of up to three and one-half horsepower, and these routers tend to be very large and heavy. Accordingly, the installation and removal of these routers from the underside of a table may involve significant effort.
In view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide a router table that provides for easy installation and removal of a router to and from a table. It would also be advantageous if the router could be used for other tasks once removed from the router table.